Ozone Hole

Dr. Solomon led the 1986 and 1987 National Ozone Expeditions to Antarctica, which included scientists and students from the University of Wyoming. The measurements made then provided critical understanding of the formation of the Antarctic ozone hole, and contributed greatly to the scientific foundation for the 1987 Montreal Protocol to phase out the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). She was recognized for her key insights into the causes of ozone depletion with the National Medal of Science in March 2000. From 2002-2008 she was the co-chair of Working Group 1 of the International Panel on Climate Change for the Fourth Assessment Report, which was recognized in 2007 with a share of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Abstract:

The discovery of the Antarctic ozone hole shocked the world in
1985 and led to one of the most sweeping global changes in environmental policy
to date. In this talk, I will describe
some key aspects of the history of ozone science, and will discuss how the science
led to policy changes. New research on
the chemistry and surface climate impacts of ozone depletion will also be presented.

This seminar is supported by
the EPSCoR’s Wyoming Women in Science and Engineering (WWISE) program and NSF
Grant #1208909.